my dad has a stock tank thats about an acre and has a major problem with hydrilla. we have tried the chemicals and they work great but only temporarily...we have thought about carp or tilapia? any advice/experience would be greatly appreciated.

Triploid grass carp will take care of hydrilla problem, however make sure to go throught the proper permits to acquire them. If you haven't already check out www.aquaplant.tamu.edu for control measures for hydrilla.

because it is unfishable.....we have been pullin the stuff out by hand for the last few years and it just seems to come back stronger. the regulated carp that wont breed can be pretty pricey...i have also heard that people will come out and inspect? dont really want to deal with bureaucrat bull.

because it is unfishable.....we have been pullin the stuff out by hand for the last few years and it just seems to come back stronger. the regulated carp that wont breed can be pretty pricey...i have also heard that people will come out and inspect? dont really want to deal with bureaucrat bull.

Well not to be blunt but in this case you cant have your cake and eat it too. There are 3 ways to control hydrilla, manual, biological, and chemical. Manual controls such as raking and pulling can work but take note that hydrilla can resprout through fragments so you have to ensure that all the pieces are removed from the pond. Chemical treatments will work over time, but if your pond is overgrown like you say it is then you need to treat it in sections to keep from depleting your oxygen and killing your fish. Then biological, the only biological control for hydrilla is triploid grass carp. Yes these are by permit only and may be pricey (I have no clue on price). I would imagine that TPWD may inspect your pond, primarily to ensure that they cannot escape.

Well not to be blunt but in this case you cant have your cake and eat it too. There are 3 ways to control hydrilla, manual, biological, and chemical. Manual controls such as raking and pulling can work but take note that hydrilla can resprout through fragments so you have to ensure that all the pieces are removed from the pond. Chemical treatments will work over time, but if your pond is overgrown like you say it is then you need to treat it in sections to keep from depleting your oxygen and killing your fish. Then biological, the only biological control for hydrilla is triploid grass carp. Yes these are by permit only and may be pricey (I have no clue on price). I would imagine that TPWD may inspect your pond, primarily to ensure that they cannot escape.

The carp are not expensive it is just a matter of filling out the correct paper work. Just remember that grass carp live between 5-7 years and can eat their body weight a day in vegetation. I have seen 50-60 pound grass carp before so that is a lot of vegetation gone. GC can ruin a lake or pond in no time if they are over stocked.

Triploid grass carp will take care of hydrilla problem, however make sure to go throught the proper permits to acquire them. If you haven't already check out www.aquaplant.tamu.edu for control measures for hydrilla.

Grass carp are the best way--and trust me-you don't want tilapia in your tanks. Big mature grass carp are the strongest fish I've ever caught--stronger than reds. The Guadalupe had them when I lived on the river prior to the '98 flood, and we caught bunches of them. We used breadballs for bait, that had been dipped in the stinking mess of soured milo we kept on the dock to chum catfish. Hook one and it's like wrapping your line around a trailer hitch on a Corvette and having the driver put the hammer down.

The first go round that Lake Conroe had with the grass carp, it seems like they overstocked them. After a while, you couldn't find any vegitation in that lake. I remember seeing those giant carp beach themselves to grab a mouthful of grass off of the bank, then flop back in the water similar to the way a killer whale goes after seals on the shores.
Dave

The first go round that Lake Conroe had with the grass carp, it seems like they overstocked them. After a while, you couldn't find any vegitation in that lake. I remember seeing those giant carp beach themselves to grab a mouthful of grass off of the bank, then flop back in the water similar to the way a killer whale goes after seals on the shores.
Dave

Just hope the carp are sterile. We put 5 in one of our little ponds a few years back. In 08, it dried up and there were 50-60 of them in there. In our big tank, the carp have seem to do the job. Just takes a while for them to get it under control.